At almost half past six, Hesta heard footsteps and conversations coming from the corridor outside - it was Ding Jiali and his party.
"Mom!" Ding Jiali shouted outside the door, "We are back!"
Xu Ruyi wiped her hands on her apron and walked quickly towards the door, "...didn't you bring the key?"
The moment the door was opened, a high-pitched child's voice shouted "bang bang bang" several times. Xu Ruyi immediately covered her heart in cooperation and took two steps back. The group of people near the door burst into laughter.
I saw a girl wearing a little red dress sitting on Ding Jiali's shoulders. Her little black leather shoes were flapping in the air excitedly, excited about the unexpected attack she had just made.
Behind Ding Jiali, there was a woman in a dress standing. Her eyes were always on the girl, and she smiled very tiredly.
"You three are the only ones back?" Xu Ruyi looked out curiously, "Where's Pingchuan? Didn't you agree that you would come over for dinner together this morning?"
The woman in the dress replied while changing her shoes, "Pingchuan went to park the car. He will be up in a moment."
Ding Jiali lifted the girl above his head and carried her into Xu Ruyi's arms. Xu Ruyi happily took it and kissed the girl's cheek, then looked at Ding Jiali: "Where are the friends you want to bring back for dinner tonight?"
"He met two friends downstairs and insisted on dragging him to talk." Ding Jiali quickly walked to the refrigerator in the living room. "Don't worry, I told him the house number. He will come up later. .”
Xu Ruyi frowned and said, "You don't wait for me when it's my first time."
"It's okay!" Ding Jiali took out a bottle of canned drink, turned around and sat on the sofa, "It smells so good. Is the meal ready?"
"Everything is ready," Xu Ruyi replied, "dinner can be served at any time."
Hesta stood silently at the table in the restaurant, her eyes always falling on the woman in the dress.
From the first time she entered Hestad's sight, Hestad saw a familiar tiredness and meekness on her face.
The woman's eyes hardly looked up. She lowered her eyes, as if she had eternal thoughts.
Suddenly, she noticed Hesta's gaze and raised her head.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds. The woman smiled and spoke in the same fluent District 3 dialect: "...You are the new international student, right?"
"Yes." Hesta nodded and took the initiative to extend his hand to the woman, "Hello."
The two shook hands briefly.
"Are you still used to it after coming to District 14?"
"Habit."
"How are you living at home?"
"all good."
"You -" the woman was looking for a topic, but before the third question was uttered, the girl who had just been taken away by Xu Ruyi rushed back, pulled her dress and shouted, "Mom, mom -"
"What's wrong?"
"Help me open the picture album!!"
"The picture album is still in the car. Your father will bring it up later -"
"Then you...then come here first!"
"Where have you been? What are you doing?"
The girl lowered her lips, as if she was about to cry, "Ah, come with me..."
The woman took her daughter's hand, smiled apologetically at Hesta and went upstairs. Hesta looked at her back and suddenly saw the girl turning around and making a face at him.
Ding Jiali walked to Hesta with a can of drink and placed the can on her left hand, "Would you like to drink?"
"Thank you," Hesta replied, "No."
"You are self-disciplined enough." Ding Jiali said with a smile, "What time did you come back last night? Are you so nervous about your homework just after school started?"
Hesta didn't answer immediately. When Ding Jiali came closer, she smelled the perfume smell that disgusted her again.
Everything was just as Ding Yuqing predicted before - his fragrance today was indeed much more obvious than the day before.
"...What's wrong?" Ding Jiali noticed Hesta staring at him and couldn't help but look down at his clothes.
Hesta looked away, "What's the name of the perfume you're wearing?"
"Haha, why are you asking this? Is it because the smell is very special?"
"Yeah," Hesta looked at him, "I have some impression of this smell. I smelled it before in the third area."
"Oh... Really," Ding Jiali's face condensed slightly, "You used to be... uh, a medic in the third area, right?"
"uh-huh."
"Where did you smell it? Haha, it couldn't be on the battlefield, right?"
"At some parties," Hesta replied seriously, "Occasionally there will be some commendation parties, and some celebrities will also attend... This smell is quite special, so I will remember it. Is it a very expensive thing?"
Ding Jiali changed his hand to hold the drink, "Do you remember who specifically smelled it?"
"I don't remember that," Hesta smiled, "They were either earls or viscounts... Anyway, they were old nobles who had been knighted. I was young at the time and didn't dare to look at them. I feel that these people are solemn and solemn, and I am afraid that what I have done will make others laugh."
The corners of Ding Jiali's mouth raised slightly, "No wonder you remember this smell - yes, the incense I used comes from the third district. Very few people here can recognize it... You are the leader among the students. one."
Hesta made a surprised expression, "Really?"
"It's called 'Cross of Thorns', this incense." Ding Jiali shook his hair a little, Hesta's words were very useful to him, "I don't usually use it often, but I still light some on my body on certain occasions - Most people only pay attention to clothing and appearance, and often ignore the importance of smell, but sometimes, smell information can give people a stronger first impression than visual information."
"That makes sense." Hestad nodded very approvingly, "Are you very knowledgeable about these?"
"We have to study. If a person doesn't even care about his appearance, it's basically impossible to accomplish anything." At this point, Ding Jiali paused, "Have you met my sister Xiaoqing?"
"I've seen it before."
"Ask her to take you to buy some clothes," Ding Jiali said with a smile, "No offense, but you are really not good at clothes, so you have to learn a lot."
"How to learn?"
"First of all, read more," Ding Jiali said eloquently. "Secondly - hey, by the way, I'll give you something."
Ding Jiali said as he put down the drink in his hand, rummaged around in several pockets of his pants, and finally took out a folded registration card.
"this is for you."
Hesta took it. She glanced at it and recognized it as an information registration form.
"What's this?"
"This Sunday, there will be a welcome meeting for new citizens in the city hall. You can exchange your tickets by filling out this form and then attend the welcome meeting. Someone will introduce you to the general situation of Orange Town. After that, you can take a bus around the city. .”
Hesta took the registration form, "...that's really good."
"This kind of benefit is not available to ordinary students," Ding Jiali said proudly, "only urban residents can enjoy it."
